Closing Health Gaps through Collaborative Action

The document argues that up to 80% of health outcomes are driven by non-medical factors related to where a person lives. It proposes a framework for 'place-based change'—collaborative, community-led, long-term efforts in defined geographic areas—to address root causes like systemic racism and structural flaws in health systems. The guide outlines four core principles for success: fostering community ownership and empowerment, employing a rigorous analytical approach to identify key health drivers, building purposeful cross-sector partnerships, and establishing sustainable, execution-oriented governance models. It illustrates these principles through global case studies, including maternal health initiatives in Nigeria and the US, cancer care in low- and middle-income countries, and diabetes management in Denmark and Bangladesh.

• Health outcomes are predominantly influenced by non-medical drivers related to an individual's environment, with up to 80% of outcomes stemming from these factors, including employment, food access, and climate.
• Effective place-based change requires shifting power to the community through co-creation and authentic engagement to avoid distrust and ensure initiatives are culturally relevant and sustainable.
• To maximize the impact of investments, organizations should use rigorous data analytics to focus on 'upstream' drivers of health—such as childhood poverty and material deprivation—rather than focusing on more visible but less impactful symptoms.
• A 'whole-of-society' approach is essential for health equity, requiring the coordination of government, private sector, academia, and civil society through a trusted, impartial 'backbone organization' to manage the coalition.
• Sustainable impact requires moving away from short-term funding cycles toward long-term operational models that include dedicated backbone teams and scalable infrastructure.

APA

World Economic Forum (2024). Closing Health Gaps through Collaborative Action. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Closing_Health_Gaps_through_Collaborative_Action_2024.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Closing Health Gaps through Collaborative Action. 2024. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Closing_Health_Gaps_through_Collaborative_Action_2024.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Closing Health Gaps through Collaborative Action |date=September 2024 |url=https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Closing_Health_Gaps_through_Collaborative_Action_2024.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2024closing, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Closing Health Gaps through Collaborative Action}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2024}, month = sep, url = {https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Closing_Health_Gaps_through_Collaborative_Action_2024.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }